Halloween Safety with Rayovac

Halloween is right around the corner and I’m looking forward to seeing neighbors and their little ones as families stop at our door during Trick or Treat. My kids are now teens, and Halloween keeps getting more fun each year. Now that they are a little older, they help hand out candy and decorate our house to spook visitors. One item we have a need for during Halloween is tons of batteries.

No longer do I have little ones dressing up like in colorful kiddie costumes. Instead, our yard is transformed into a graveyard, with a motion sensor tombstone powered by Rayovac. As visitors walk up the drive, the tombstone is activated and emits either a scream or a deep low voice warning people to turn around before it’s too late.

We’re all about safety, especially fire safety at our home, and we opt for small Rayovac flashlights instead of candles in our carved pumpkins. Those store bought costumes are highly flammable and according to the U.S. National Fire Administration, because of the increased use of candles over the three day period between Oct. 30 and Nov. 1, open flame fires increase by 50 percent. Burn incidents are the third-most leading cause of unintentional injuries in kids, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Halloween is the fifth highest day for candle fires,” Lorraine Carli, vice president of communications at the National Fire Protection Association, said. “The number of candle fires reported on this day alone closely follows Christmas, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Day and New Year’s Eve.”

As you can imagine, while Halloween is a fun time where kids can roam the streets after dark to gather goodies, there are some safety reminders to keep in mind. Here are a few tips to prevent accidents before they happen, and what to do if the unthinkable should occur:

• Replace candles inside carved pumpkins with a battery powered light, such as a flameless candle or Rayovac mini flashlight.
• If hosting a party or cooking treats for Halloween gatherings, keep cooking safety in mind by turning off unattended pots and keeping pot handles turned away from yourself.
• Buy costumes that are made with flame resistant materials. You can check the packaging or inside tag for marked costumes.
• Only use light strings and electrical decorations that have the UL marking. This designates a product as being tested by Underwriters Laboratories for safety.
• Make sure your children know to stop, drop, and roll should their costume catch on fire. Turn this safety practice into a fun game to refresh their memories before stepping out to Trick or Treat.
• Before going to bed, make sure all candles are extinguished and all lights are turned out. The majority of house fires occur between 11PM and 7Am.
• Practice your family escape plan.

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This post is part of the Rayovac Power Blogger Program.